Racial and Religious Hatred Bill

Click here for the text of the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill, as introduced in the House of Commons on 9th June 2005..

All sounds a good idea on the surface doesn't it? The problem is, this government are bringing in more and more laws which don't do what they say on the tin, but rather like a worm virus on a computer open up back doors for authorities to use the law to achieve their ends and aims, not the greater good.

Hatred against persons on racial or religious grounds

Part 3 of the Public Order Act 1986 (c. 64) is amended in accordance with the Schedule to this Act, which—

(a) creates offences involving stirring up hatred against persons on religious grounds, and

(b) amends provisions relating to offences involving stirring up hatred against persons on racial grounds.

Great stuff. People who deliberatly go around stiring up hatred will be sorted by this! Wonderful.

Law's don't have to be broken to come in to effect. Quite the reverse. We British don't like to make a fuss, and it's always best to be on the safe side, right? Ofcourse, that's why Health & Saftey bosses dish out so many rules for their staff: we've got to be extra careful- well, you're best to be on the safe side aren't you? The risk, or theoretical risk of being caught short by the law determins how people think, albeit in a very gradual and almost unconcious way. Laws change our ways of thinking.

So how does this particualar law change our ways of thinking?

Let me quote again from the Bill.

“Meaning of “religious hatred”
In this Part “religious hatred” means hatred against a group of persons defined by reference to religious belief or lack of religious belief.”

Those are my highlights added there. So is this about religious belief or is it about lack of religious belief? Here the deffinition is broad as to cover every thing under the sun. From atheists to Christians, Muslims to pagans, 'Jedi' religions to... well actually who is to say what is not covered by that loose definition? No one.

Imagine this situation where the "Faithful Religious Sect of the Mass Salughter Worshipers" has been preaching it's message of tollerance towards it's cause. Yes, a few of these people go to prision for their beliefs too for obvioulsy breaking the law of murder. To others it's just a Friday ritual.

So Mr & Mrs Protest get quite a few people together from the local community at a local rally. Their stiring speech to the families of victims, the frightened, the pillaged, raises are real cry of unity. Their leaflets, videos and presentations about the workings of this sect get people stired up to action. So protests are organised, demonstrations out side the known places of worship. Mrs Protest and her neighbour are on TV and radio, "This is aweful. This religious group are murderers and we want nothing to do with them."

In other words, hattred is stired up against this group. Suddenly the police are called in, and all protestors and arrested under the religious hate law. A complaint has been put in by attenders of this sect.

Absurd? Probably, but what is to stop that happening?

Reality is stranger than fiction

In reality it will be a lot more subtle than that. We wont get any extreem enactments like that, rather a steady errosion of our freedom of speech. Rev Tweed will be thinking twice about his bible study at church that night. Christians will be careful about how they present Jesus as "the way, the truth, and the life ... the only way to the father." Drip, drip, drip, it will happen. Why? Well, it's best to be safe isn't it?

Have a read of the Bill yourself, and think what you would be doing to make sure your safe. In a few years time, we will all be programmed quite nicely, very few actual arrests will be made, but we will all think its a great idea. The only thing is, at what expense?